U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,182, whose contents are hereby specifically incorporated by reference, describes a suction reciprocating cutter head especially useful for removing vitreous material under suction and for other surgical uses. The technique there described applies mechanical forces for shredding and cutting the vitreous into pieces while sucking the cut vitreous to disposal means. Another feature is the use of a protective sheath over the instrument part that provides the reciprocating action coupled with making the cutter head removable, with the result that the latter can be made disposable after use without the need to sterilize the protected instrument part that provides the reciprocating action.
A disadvantage of such an instrument is that, however small the applied mechanical force, there can always be a pulling or pressing force on the vitreous than can cause tearing damage on the vitreous.